Traverse City, Michigan - Things to Do

Traverse City Beaches Turtle Creek Casino Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore Tall Ship Manitou The Leelanau Club at Bahle Farms Interlochen Center for the Arts Chateau Grand Traverse Winery Beach Bums Baseball Dennos Museum Center Cherry Bowl Drive-In Theatre Cherry Republic Embassy The Traverse City Film Festival Cherry Bowl Drive-In Theatre

Perched at the end of deep, blue Grand Traverse Bay and blessed with more than 150 clear inland lakes and rivers, Traverse City is an outdoor recreation paradise. Just for starters, there's swimming, sailing, boating, fishing, cycling, hiking, canoeing and kayaking. In addition, the historic downtown area of Traverse City is home to owner-operated shops and restaurants. See below for a few of our favorite Traverse City attractions and things to do in Traverse
City, Michigan.

Traverse City, Michigan Beaches - within 5 minutes -

We are blessed with bountiful blue water and beautiful sand beaches. America Online (AOL) Travel ranked Traverse City as one of the Top Ten Best Beach Towns in the US. Staying at the Days Inn & Suites puts you within minutes of being able to dip your toes in four of these extraordinary recreational delights: East Grand Traverse Bay Beach (Milliken Park), 5 minutes, West Grand Traverse Bay Beaches (Bryant Park), 5 minutes, Clinch Park and Marina, 10 minutes, West End Park, 10 minutes and Elmwood Park Beach, 10 minutes.

Turtle Creek Casino - within 20 minutes -

Turtle Creek Casino is located 20 minutes from the Days Inn & Suites. This popular Traverse City attraction features 1,200 slot machines from penny to $100 denominations You can also sit down and enjoy a friendly game of Black Jack, Three Card Poker, Let It Ride, Roulette, Texas Hold'em, Poker
and Craps.

Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore - within 60 minutes -

One of the most beautiful natural areas in Michigan's Lower Peninsula is just one hour away from our Traverse City hotel. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore offers magnificent views over sweeping vistas of Lake Michigan from atop high dunes, miles of perfect freshwater beaches, forested wilderness islands, hiking trails and a series of preserved historic farmsteads. The glistening waters of Lake Michigan make a stunning backdrop for the dunes and forests, while abundant wildlife and a diverse ecosystem thrill the nature lover. Enjoy 35 miles of Lake Michigan's eastern coastline, explore North and South Manitou Islands, and climb the dunes at this spectacular Traverse
City attraction.

Tall Ship Manitou - within 15 minutes -

Many of our guests enjoy a sail on The Tall Ship Manitou, a replica of an 1800's "coasting" cargo schooner. The Manitou sails from Traverse City three times daily in the summer, just 15 minutes from our hotel in Traverse City. This three-masted Tall Ship is a fun and different sailing experience for cruising the tranquil waters of West Grand Traverse Bay.

The Leelanau Club at Bahle Farms - within 35 minutes -

Our golfing guests enjoy a round of golf at The Leelanau Club at Bahle Farms...located just 35 minutes north of Traverse City, by historic Suttons Bay. Golf enthusiasts will find unsurpassed terrain and beauty while playing northern Michigan's newest golf addition. This Championship facility carries the heritage of the Leelanau Peninsula in its terrain. Players will negotiate hills, woodlands, water, strategically placed bunkers, speedy greens, and two golf holes even play through a working orchard of sweet cherries. Golfers of all abilities will enjoy this beautiful course. A par 71, there's a distance for every ability. The Black (back) tees at 6,651 yards offer a challenge to the most competitive player while three other tee boxes offer a bit easier round.

Chateau Grand Traverse Winery - within 20 minutes -

Established in 1974, as the first winery in the region, Chateau Grand Traverse has experienced many successful vintage years. In the last year alone wines at this Michigan winery have been awarded more than 100 medals in national and international competitions. Learn about the wine making process on a 30-minute facilities tour after which you will enjoy sampling their prize winning varieties. The Chateau Grand Traverse Winery is only 20 minutes from the Days Inn & Suites.

Interlochen Center for the Arts - within 45 minutes -

Fine Arts lovers, lifelong learners and the world's most talented and motivated young people from all over the world are drawn to Interlochen Center for the Arts to celebrate and create excellence in creative writing, dance, motion picture arts, music, theatre, visual arts and academics. During the summer season the World Youth Symphony performs as well as a variety of renowned professional acts from Country Western, Pop, and Rock, to the Classics

Beach Bums Baseball - within 20 minutes -

Take in all the fun of a Beach Bums Frontier League baseball game at nearby Wuerfel Park. Kids will delight in the team mascot "Sunburn" who constantly finds himself distracted by the crowd. Single game tickets are available for this fun resort baseball team, located 20 minutes away.

Dennos Museum Center - within 5 minutes -

This Traverse City attraction at Northwestern Michigan College is a premier cultural facility in northern Michigan. The Museum Center features three changing exhibit galleries and an elegant sculpture court; a unique hands-on Discovery Gallery and a renowned Inuit Art Gallery. Visit the Museum Store for great museum shopping including a fine selection of Inuit art. Within the Dennos Museum Center the Milliken Auditorium is a preferred venue for any type of performance because of its acoustical excellence and spacious comfortable seating.

Cherry Bowl Drive-In Theatre - within 60 minutes -

Take a step back into the Fabulous 50's with a visit to the Cherry Bowl Drive-In Theatre. Arrive early and enjoy a homemade picnic dinner of roasted chicken or "Crazy Harry's" BBQ Ribs from the Cherry Bowl Diner. Try their popcorn topped with real creamery butter. Let the kids play on the playground or the whole family can enjoy a round of mini-golf. Only G, PG and some PG-13 movies are shown to provide a fun family experience. Shows start at dusk nightly in June, July
and August

Cherry Republic Embassy - within 60 minutes -

Sample more than 170 cherry products from one of our region's most popular attractions located in the center of Glen Arbor.. The Cherry Republic Embassy consists of a retail store as well as a winery for all ages. In the summer be sure to get some of the freshly squeezed cherry juice and try their Cherry Chicken Salad. If you are short of time the Cherry Republic has a full service store on Front Street in downtown Traverse City, just 5 minutes from our hotel.

Traverse City, Michigan Festivals

The Traverse City Film Festival - within 5 minutes -

This festival was held for the first time in 2005 and has returned bigger and better each year. The week-long event is held in late July and runs through early August. Interest in this event is spreading across the nation. Films of all kinds are shown during the event: New, classic, documentary, and art. Venues include the historic State Theater, the newly renovated historic City Opera House, the Old Town Playhouse, Lars Hockstad Auditorium, Milliken Auditorium and the Open Space which is located right on beautiful West Grand Traverse Bay where classic movies are shown on a huge inflatable screen free of charge each night.

The National Cherry Festival - within 5 minutes -

One of the longest standing Traverse City celebrations, the National Cherry Festival begins the first Saturday of July and runs for 8 days. It includes a wide variety of parades, contests, music performances, food, drink, games, a street sale and an annual air show that features the U.S. Navy Blue Angels in even-numbered years. All of the fun takes place in downtown Traverse City, just 5 minutes away.

Every year new and interesting events are taking place. Please view our Managers Special Page to see what is happening this month.